The ring might not be a cudgel, but this pistol sure is!
Obtain the Cestus bundle to acquire the following:
Cestus helmet
XAH-23 Acoustic Hailer helmet attachment
UA/Teutobod shoulders
UA/X800 Plate chest attachment
Striker's Gloves
UA/S-Plate hip attachment
Sunrise Showdown armor coating
Vicious Sidekick weapon model
Glibnub's Deal weapon coating
Frozen Conflict visor
Things are about to get vicious...
That, er... that's all paint, right?
Complete all of your Weekly Challenges and the Ultimate Challenge to earn this week’s Ultimate Reward – the Crazed Bond armor coating.
A new Ultimate Reward will become available every week, so be sure to keep an eye on your Challenges and take advantage of these free rewards.
Sandbox Overview | CU32
Our preview of Halo Infinite’s next content update continues with a closer look at the sandbox tunings, mode and playlist updates, and additional gameplay improvements ahead of Operation: Banished Honor’s arrival on April 30.
Sandbox Updates
Halo Infinite’s sandbox is getting some tuning updates based on community feedback and overall player usage, so let’s kick things off with some exciting news that’ll make your Plasma Pistol hum!
Plasma Pistol
The return of the king! We’ve heard your feedback, desiring the Plasma Pistol’s ability to temporarily EMP (“Oh, you mean an emp!”) vehicles with its overcharged bolt, and we are giving you just that.
Restored EMP functionality on vehicles
Mk50 Sidekick
We know the rapid-fire functionality feels great and is core to the identity of the weapon, but we wanted to address player feedback on the time-to-kill when on the receiving end of a Sidekick encounter.
Rounds per second decreased 6.6 >> 5.6
S7 Sniper Rifle
A common theme in feedback from the community has been that the sniper’s ready-up time after being picked up felt a tad too lengthy. To help the sniper feel snappier, we wanted to address this by decreasing its ready-up time. We hope this will allow for more sniper highlights that we can’t wait to watch.
The Cindershot is a fun and powerful weapon to use, but we acknowledge it can be frustrating to be redirected by the impulse of the explosion. To eliminate that frustration and address player feedback, we eliminated the gravity effect that would pull players around and slightly reduced the rate of fire. We hope this will improve both sides of the combat experience while still maintaining the Cindershot’s effectiveness as a power weapon.
Remove inverted impulse effect
Rounds per second decreased 1.33 >> 1.1
Gravity Hammer
We felt the range in which the Gravity Hammer can fully eliminate an enemy was too far, so we wanted to address this in the slightest of ways.
Slight decrease of elimination range
Radius low 1.25 >> 1.75
Radius high 2 >> 2.5
Spike Grenade
Spike Grenades have been underperforming in the core gameplay loop, and we felt a change in detonation behavior may improve its viability. The first step we took was to ensure the Spike Grenade reached its intended target by preventing its detonation midair. Additionally, once the Spike Grenade does reach its intended target it will detonate more quickly—similar to other grenades in the sandbox.
Detonation timer starts changed from immediately >> when at rest
Timer decreased (low & high) 1.8 >> 1.2 seconds
Modes
In addition to the above, further adjustments have been made to Firefight, Ranked, Custom Games, and more.
Firefight
Folks have been loving Firefight: King of the Hill and we have been looking to identify places to continue improving that experience as we review player feedback. A particular area we focused on for this update centers around Personal Score—if you’re driving a Warthog while your gunner mows down enemies, or you’ve been putting in the work to bring down an enemy’s health bar but don’t necessarily get the final shot, your contributions should be honored.
As a result, we have made the following additions to Personal Score and Medals:
Regular assists on all AI units = 5 points
Driver assists on AI units = 10 points
Adding higher priority to Land Stand announcer voice over lines to make the feedback more reliable
Along with the launch of Banished Honor, Ranks will be reset as we enter a new ranked season.
Additionally, with this update, we’ll be implementing a new feature to improve the Ranked experience. Starting on April 30, if you load into a match and the server detects that there are uneven teams at the start of the match, the game will automatically end and send everybody straight back into matchmaking so players can get a back into a quality match.
Neither team is rewarded nor punished for matches that automatically end as a result of this, your CSR will remain the same—you will jump straight into the matchmaking menu so you can queue for a new, fair match and keep the good times rolling!
Custom Games
Match Score Override is a new feature where, in the event of a game crash or disconnect during—for example—a tournament event, the match can be restarted and its previous state recreated with a set score and timer.
Also, if you’re jumping into some customs and want to give your friends an advantage, you can simply give them whatever number of points you want rather than having to suffer the timely indignity of having to find each other on the map to get killed multiple times over.
Respawn Cameras
After our latest update to respawn cameras, we saw feedback around how we could improve them even more. Now, when you swap between your teammates while waiting to respawn, the camera will always start pointed at where they are looking. When you fall in battle after the update, you will also be able to rotate around your own body. Additionally, the speed that you can rotate your camera has also been increased to help provide even more control over what you’re able to see as well.
Weapon Drills
Added the Bandit EVO to the standard Bandit weapon drills, which should help players who want to warm up using the weapon.
Deadlock Pelican Drops
Players gave us feedback that the Pelican vehicle drops on Deadlock did not feel good when dropping off Scorpions and Wraiths. We liked the focus on tanks, but agreed that the power of the Scorpion was too much and noticed it could dominate matches. To help address this, we’ve updated to vehicle drops on Deadlock to only bring in Wraiths, while the rest of the vehicle pads still spawn in their normal vehicles.
Bug Fixes
The following bugs across networks, modes, and Forge have been addressed in this update:
Weapon Dropping is faster than swapping to secondary weapon
Skewer should feel more responsive during online gameplay
Vehicles are able to play ‘Doom State’ audio without being in ‘Doom State’
You’ll be able to check out the full list of bug fixes and updates when the patch notes drop alongside the Operation launch.
BTB Heavies Refresh
Back in February, the Big Team Battle playlist was refreshed with some amazing new community maps. After that update, many asked to see those maps expand to other BTB offerings, and we’re pleased to confirm that the next time you see BTB Heavies (later this Operation), the map pool will have increased as we’re adding all the BTB refresh maps! You’ll be able to experience:
Expect more chaos thanks to increased vehicular carnage and heavy weapon spawns.
Additionally, the fan-favorite One Flag CTF mode has been added to Heavies so you’ll be able to play tug of war while you try to capture the flag.
The fun will arrive during Operation: Banished Honor so get those reflexes primed and ready to jump into the fray!
That wraps up our look at the gameplay sandbox, playlists, bug fixes, and additions coming with the arrival of Operation: Banished Honor on April 30!
To learn more about what’s coming in this update, be sure to check out these other blogs:
UPDATE OVERVIEW: Catch up on our latest community livestream for an overview of what’s coming when Operation: Banished Honor arrives
THE EXCHANGE: Take a deep dive into the new shop where customization items from the past return and can be purchased with free Spartan Points
FORGE OVERVIEW: Explore the new Flood and Alien World-themed object palettes coming to Forge, alongside additional updates
CUSTOMIZATION: Feast your eyes on the Banished-themed armor coming with a free new Operation Pass and further customization updates
The Exchange | CU32
Customizing your personal Spartan has long been a core component of Halo Infinite, and as we look ahead to our next update, we’re excited to share details of a brand-new system that will give players more agency over earned customization content.
Over the years since launch, we’ve heard feedback around wanting additional avenues to earn customization content and a desire for ways to acquire older content that is no longer actively available in the game. With next week’s update, Halo Infinite will be adding two new features to directly address this player feedback: “Spartan Points” and “The Exchange.”
Players of Halo: The Master Chief Collection probably recognize both of these terms for good reason—they are both based on what’s currently available in MCC today. “The Exchange” is a new feature that you’ll find within Halo Infinite’s Shop that offers customization content in exchange for “Spartan Points.”
The primary focus of The Exchange is offering access to previously released free content that players may have originally missed out on. For example, rewards that were originally tied to Halo Infinite’s free Event tracks or a special limited time login bonus, or even a past Twitch drop or partner promotional item are all fair game for The Exchange.
However, it’s not all legacy favorites as some never-before-released items will also join the mix. Premium content—such as items sold in the Shop or included in a premium Battle Pass reward track—will not be offered in The Exchange. The available inventory of items in the Exchange is expected to rotate approximately every 4-to-6 weeks (generally timed to Halo Infinite’s Operation cadence).
When The Exchange refreshes, items will not be “going away,” removing the chance to get them—they will still be available to purchase with Spartan Points through the customization menus (much like bundles once they have rotated out of the Shop).
Here’s a quick summary of what will initially be available in the Exchange when it launches next week (item name, type, and origin):
Spartan Points (or “SP” for short) is the “currency” players will earn and redeem in The Exchange for a desired customization item. With this update, several existing progression systems will be evolving in order to directly support the addition of Spartan Points. There will be three primary ways to earn SP in Halo Infinite when the “Banished Honor” Operation and “CU32” arrives next week:
Completing your first Daily Challenge will award 250 SP (rather than XP)
Completing the weekly Ultimate Reward will award 1,000 SP (instead of a misc. customization item)
Operations Reward tracks will offer up to 15,000 SP (replacing misc. other rewards)
We’re eager to get this new feature into your hands and offer another path for players to access content to customize their Spartan and identity in Halo Infinite. We’ll be keeping a close eye on community feedback and in-game metrics so please share your thoughts once you have a chance to try out the Exchange!
For more on Halo Infinite’s upcoming update, check out our other blogs:
UPDATE OVERVIEW: Catch up on our latest community livestream for an overview of what’s coming when Operation: Banished Honor arrives
SANDBOX OVERVIEW: Get the full debrief on the latest sandbox balance changes and mode updates coming in Operation: Banished Honor
FORGE OVERVIEW: Explore the new Flood and Alien World-themed object palettes coming to Forge, alongside additional updates
CUSTOMIZATION: Feast your eyes on the Banished-themed armor coming with a free new Operation Pass and further customization updates
Community Livestream Recap | CU32
In our latest Community Livestream, we revealed what’s on the horizon for Halo Infinite’s next content update—titled “Banished Honor”—ahead of its release on April 30.
Missed the stream? Check it out below to get up to speed on what you can expect in the next update, including new and highly requested features from the community.
THE EXCHANGE: Customization items from the past return in Halo Infinite’s new Exchange store, purchased with free Spartan Points which can be earned by completing matches and your weekly Ultimate Reward
OPERATION PASS: A free new 20-tier Operation Pass themed around the might of the Banished
SANDBOX TUNING: Halo Infinite’s sandbox is getting some tuning updates based on community feedback, including EMPowering players with the return of the Plasma Pistol’s ability to stun vehicles
FORGE UPDATES: Two new Forge palettes are on the way, including Flood-infected objects
BTB HEAVIES REFRESH: New maps coming to this existing playlist the week after Banished Honor launches
...and more!
Catch up on the stream to get a walkthrough of the new additions and keep your eyes on Halo Waypoint and our social channels for further information about the upcoming update. We've got more blogs coming your way over the course of the next week in the lead-up to launch.
We’ll see you soon!
Earth Day
🌍🌿 Happy Earth Day 🌿🌍
"Then they must love the smell of green."
By logging in this month, you will unlock the Earth Day nameplate and emblem!
Forge Features
Another month, another batch of great Forge content.
This issue’s offerings span the gamut from nostalgia, to 1v1, to large-scale games. Let’s check it out!
These broken dreams have been restored with this remake of my personal all-time favorite map: Turf! There’s something about this map that I absolutely love—from the Warthog, to the downed Scarab, to the med tent... the routes are ingrained in my mind, and it feels like just yesterday my teammates and I were careening through the doors, hoping to splatter someone.
Octagon 1v1s are common warmups for many players, but sometimes you want some variety in your octagons. Rather than saving a bunch of different size versions, this unique creation allows you to play at a variety of ranges and you can add/remove platforms around the maps—both at will.
If you look up, you’ll notice some dice and a soccer ball. You start out on 1, the smallest map. You can increase the size by shooting the incrementally larger numbers. Shoot the soccer ball to add/remove the platforms as you desire.
Regrettably, there is no switch to improve your K/D or aim—you gotta do that one on your own through good ol’ fashioned practice.
If you want to practice the aforementioned aiming, Aimlabs is for you. This has been a popular “game” on PC for people on mouse and keyboard, but now there’s a version built into Halo Infinite itself. You can work on your aim in a variety of rooms and scenarios with every weapon in the arsenal. From my time with it, I can confirm that my Shock Rifle skills are still subpar.
If you want to do a combo of Aimlabs and an Octagon, you can do that too simply by interacting with the Octagon on the ground.
Author: DISTORTED JAKAL, C0mmnder, bullet3thehead9, JAKEV10, p1ss3doffcat, xLoud Mary Jane Map | Mode
Suit up and drop in like it’s hot with this battle royale created entirely in Halo Infinite’s Forge. You have your choice of drop pods that will have you land somewhere on this giant, beautiful vista. Beat the circle, and other Spartans, to emerge victorious.
That’s a wrap for now, we’ll see you again next month for even more fantastic Forge Features!
Conqueror Bundle | Shotcode Emblem Suite
To conquer is to enact the prime directive of the Banished.
Bring your enemies to heel with this bundle containing:
Conqueror helmet
Red Cornet helmet attachment
Redsteel Pauldrons shoulders
Redsteel Heartplate chest attachment
Redsteel Belt hip attachment
Bruised Memory armor coating
Wisdom of Balaho visor
Vicious Bulldog weapon model
Bruised Thorn weapon coating
Declare a new allegiance and begin your conquest.
Scan for a free moa burger!
Complete all of your Weekly Challenges and the Ultimate Challenge to earn this week’s Ultimate Reward – the Shotcode emblem suite.
A new Ultimate Reward will become available every week, so be sure to keep an eye on your Challenges and take advantage of these free rewards.
Boggart Kit | Gameday Sleeve Wrist Attachment
Appropriately named, for this creature will follow wherever you flee...
Don the guise of this dire apparition by acquiring the Boggart armor kit for your EAGLESTRIKE armor core along with the Brute Might armor coating.
The Ghost of Lockout has retired, now comes the Boggart of Behemoth!
Is this bind on pick-up?
Complete all of your Weekly Challenges and the Ultimate Challenge to earn this week’s Ultimate Reward – the Gameday Sleeve wrist attachment.
A new Ultimate Reward will become available every week, so be sure to keep an eye on your Challenges and take advantage of these free rewards.
Gruntpocalypse
So we heard mentions that you humans are big into fightin’ fires with your fancy metal shooter suits. Finally got tired of fightin’ each other and started pickin’ on the Banished instead.
Well lemme just tell ya—you picked the wrong methane pool to drink from this time, human!
All your bullyin’ hasn’t gone unnoticed, and so it’s time for a little plasma-powered payback—it's time for… GRUNTPOCALYPSE!
Yeah, you heard that right. For the next two weeks, it’s time to take on an all-conquering, undefeated, unbeatable Unggoy army in this new Infinite Firefight: King of the Halo game you like to play (I think that’s what it’s called?)!
This time, you’ll be facing off against the greatest contingent of Balaho Banished you’ve ever seens! It's all Grunts, all the time. A war chief’s dream, really. And when you realize the futility of your situations, you’ll have to hope your feet don’t fail you as you run cryin’ back to your disappointed parents!
Oh and did we mentions that there’s a twist? Yeah, we know you Spartans are always tryin’ to get ahead, so Skulls are guaranteed in every round—don't matter if you die, respawn, or get broughted back to life, the Skull magic is still on tap. Oh, and for humans who love a good Grunt birthday party, there’s also a Fiesta version of Gruntpocalypse where you gets random loadouts each time you respawns.
So that abouts sums it up. You know the drill—squad up, stand your grounds, and see if you can still do that Spartan thing you like to do. But don’t be surprised if yer yap gets smacked!
Operation: The Yappening II
The primacy of humanity has ended. The age of the Unggoy, of true Grunty greatness, has arrived, heralded by the launch of The Yappening II—sponsored by Glibnub!
This new Operation brings the bountiful boons of new Grunt-themed customization rewards, a new map created in Halo Infinite’s Forge, the Gruntpocalypse playlist, and more.
The Yappening II Operation Pass
“Y’know, you demons could actually do a big learn from the Unggoy! One of the things you gotta do better at is lookin’ good. So Yapyap has personally made some cool new armor just for you. Only thing is, I dropped it in this acid pool so, uh… you’re gonna have to jump in there and fish it out.”
The Yappening II Operation Pass features 20 tiers of free customization rewards that will turn your seven-foot-tall super-soldier into a god among Grunts.
Progress your Operation Pass with Match XP and Challenge completions, and unlock new armor, coatings, weapon charms, emblems and nameplates, and visors to Gruntify your customization.
Additional premium options for the Operation Pass include:
500 credits will make the Operation Pass durable (it will not expire), offers bonus XP during the Operation’s live window, an extra Challenge slot while your pass is equipped, and comes with an exclusive customization item
2,000 credits instantly unlocks all 20 tiers of the Operation Pass at purchase and includes the exclusive bonus customization item
The bonus item in the Premium Operation Pass for The Yappening II is Glibnub’s Golden Guns.
NOTE: Glibnub has sent a missive regarding any humans who point out that the coloration of these weapon coatings “looks more bronze or orangey to me” will have their Grunt privileges revoked and must spend an hour in the acid pits to understand the error of their ways.
New Map: Corrosion
“You ever notice that we do a lotta shootin’ in refineries, factories, and in places with big crates? Why can’t the humans at least make the crates more fun—make ‘em round instead of square. Imagine a whole buncha humans runnin’ around to stop their crates gettin’ away! Perfect for Unggoy target practice!”
Set in an abandoned mineral refinery within the vast deserts of Zeta Halo, Corrosion is a new Arena map created in Halo Infinite’s Forge.
Watch your step during on-foot skirmishes, as not even Mjolnir armor will be able to protect you for long if you venture into the boiling green pits of acid around this site.
Corrosion will arrive in-game on week three of the Operation with a bespoke 24/7 Playlist to let you splash around and get your feet wet (at your own peril) for Glibnub’s amusement.
Gruntpocalypse Playlist
“Four of you against a thousand of us? Surely we gotta win this time!”
Along with The Yappening II, Firefight: King of the Hill is evolving into its ultimate form: Gruntpocalypse!
For the next two weeks (from April 3-16), it’s all Grunts all the time. Skulls are guaranteed every round, and there’s also a Fiesta version that features random loadouts with each spawn—so get ready to jump into the Gruntpocalypse playlist tomorrow and face the mightiest bravest most numerically superior army in the galaxy.
Halo Gear Rewards: Yappening Pin
Glibnub has been instructed to shower you with Grunty gifts for your display of loyalty to the great Yapyap and celebrate your completion of The Yappening II with a new Halo Gear Reward!
Similar to the pins offered back during Season 3, the limited-edition Yappening pin is accompanied by additional patches for the Spirit of Fire and Cyber Showdown III Operations.
Players that complete any one of the three Operation Passes for Spirit of Fire, Cyber Showdown III, or The Yappening II will earn access to the reward. Qualifying players will automatically receive a code in their Waypoint notifications.
Shop & Ultimate Reward
Head to the Shop in Halo Infinite and you’ll find the Brands of Balaho bundle, all proceeds raised go to the Banished on Zeta Halo after the Master Chief killed Escharum and a bunch of their other guys…
Dokkaebi helmet
AweSpex helmet attachment
Armored Glowbox shoulders
Keep Breathing Plate chest attachment
Fidget Keepawake hip attachment
Monkey Paw gloves
Potential Profit armor coating
Taskmaster helmet
Blue Cornet helmet attachment
Bluesteel Pauldron shoulders
Bluesteel Heartplate chest attachment
Bluesteel Riprail hip attachment
Bluesteel gloves
Cerulean Expression armor coating
Vicious SPNKr weapon model
Salvage Rights weapon coating
Spontaneous Combustion death effect
Rhythm and Ruin Mythic Effect set
Brands of Balaho armor effect
Complete all of your Challenges this week to unlock your free Ultimate Reward: the Scav Patch hip attachment. Er… thanks, Glibnub.
For many years, you have fought the Unggoy—but now, the time has come to embrace and become one of them.
The Yappening II is live today. Start working through that Operation Pass to get your fancy new armor and your Halo Gear Rewards, and prepare yourselves for the arrival of Corrosion and the Gruntpocalypse playlist!
